March Madness Day 17: Drake Madness

3 of Drake's project (from top to bottom; Drake's "Take Care", Drake's "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" and Drake's "Nothing Was The Same")

Went in full Drake mode this week. I wanted perspective on him as an artist.

• Drake - Take Care

Cover art for Drake's "Take Care"

 I can see how this can easily be regarded as his best work. Take Care works as a better Views. Showcasing all sides of Drake but just in a better way. The songs hit harder, the production is more lush and the intimate moments are *really* intimate in comparison to "Views". Personally, this project has too many tracks for my taste. It just gets boring to me after the second half of the project (With the exception of "Lord Knows") I know a Drake fan is reading and is vehemently disagreeing just know that I never was a big Drake fan to begin with, I still have a few songs from this album in regular rotation till this day. I remember some reviewer saying "Take Care" would make an excellent EP and I couldn't agree more, if Drake kept the track listing to 12-14 tracks than Take Care would've been something truly special to me. But for right now, I don't care for it as much as others do.

March Madness Day 16: Beyoncé, Earl Sweatshirt, Drake & Apollo Brown

4 projects that I gave my thoughts on. (From left to right, clockwise: Beyoncé's 'Lemonade', Earl Sweatshirt's "I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside", Apollo Brown's "Clouds" and Drake's "So Far Gone")

QUICK THOUGHTS:

• Beyoncé - Lemonade

Cover art for Beyoncé's "Lemonade"

 It's diverse yet somehow really cohesive and not too long, I appreciate the instrumentals on this album more than Beyoncé actually. I love the production on songs like "Hold Up" "Formation" and "Daddy Lessons". While I'm not exactly sure what makes this project as a whole SO GREAT like people are claiming, I will say "Sandcastles" is the most raw I've ever heard Beyoncé every time she sings

"Bitch, I scratched out your name and your face"

"What is it about you that I can't erase, baby?"

That shit physically hits me, like its impossible to not feel the pain in her voice. So, while I'm not in love with every single song on here. I will say "Sandcastles" is a worthy 10/10 and one of the best songs this year. But the other songs are just ok to me. I love the production though but Beyoncé herself I just don't care for. Sorry Beyhive lol.

March Madness Day 15: SOB X RBE - Gangin

Cover Art for SOB X RBE's "Gangin"

Quick review of the Vallejo collective that got major attention from being featured on the Black Panther soundtrack curated by one Kendrick Lamar himself.

March Madness Day 14: Kevin Gates - Islah

Cover Art for Kevin Gates' "Islah" album

I already explained who Kevin Gates was in my Kevin Gates - Murder For II post. Check it out.

Gonna try a one paragraph summation of an album. See if it works better than my track by track reviews. Gotta switch it up you know?

Anyway, here's yet another throwback review on Kevin Gates' debut album "Islah"

Now reverting back to 2016 Joseph S...

March Madness Day 13: Drake - Views

Cover Art for Drake's "Views" Album

Drake. You know who he is, I know who he is, he needs no introduction.

Lets’s get straight to it…

1. Keep the Family Close 

March Madness Day 12: Cozz - Nothin' Personal

Cover Art for Cozz's 2016 Mixtape "Nothing Personal"

Yet another throwback review...turns out I have written gold scattered throughout the internet. Anyway, today's review comes from Dreamville signee Cozz (who recently dropped his sophomore album "Effected" (which, I may or may not review...most likely not but then again...you never know)...so yeah, Cozz dropped a mixtape in early 2016 called "Nothin' Personal" and today we're going to be checking it out.

NOW GOING BACK TO 2016 JOSEPH S...

My track-by-track review of Cozz’s “Nothin’ Personal”: I have never heard a Cozz project prior to this, so I’m completely unbiased. I’m going try to review some of the projects I’ve heard this year, and since this is the first project of 2016 I’ve heard, why not start here?

March Madness Day 11: Mistah FAB - Son of a Pimp, Pt. 2

Cover Art for Mistah FAB's "Son of a Pimp, Pt. 2"

In 2016, Bay Area veteran Mistah FAB had released his album "Son of a Pimp Pt. 2", his sequel to his 2005 album "Son of a Pimp" which was chalk full of features from respected California artists like E40 and Mac Dre. "Son of a Pimp Pt. 2" continues this with an even more star studded guest list with features ranging from recognizable household names like Kendrick Lamar to local buzzing Bay artists like J. Stalin.

Mistah FAB is what you would call regionally famous. In the California Bay Area, FAB has been around along time and as a result of this, he has gathered many contacts and artist connects throughout his years of rapping. Therefore, it's only right that his album previous to "Son of a Pimp, Pt.2" is 4 years apart. Gathering features for a guest list as diverse and as star studded as this was most likely no easy task...

This is also a throwback review, just so you know...